Athletic director Copeland to retire from SMU

DALLAS -- SMU athletic director Jim Copeland said Friday he
is retiring after more than 11 years with the Mustangs. Copeland,
60, will retire effective May 31.
Under Copeland, SMU teams have won 58 conference regular-season
and tournament championships in various sports. The athletic
department has received $81 million in donations, and the football
team moved from the Cotton Bowl back on campus, to the new
32,000-seat Gerald J. Ford Stadium.
"I think we have taken a number of important steps over the
past decade. Of those, I'm most proud of bringing football back to
campus," said Copeland, who plans to retire to Charlottesville,
Va.
SMU also added three varsity women's sports under Copeland:
volleyball, equestrian and rowing.
Copeland was named SMU's 11th AD in 1994, following an
eight-year stint at Virginia and stops at Utah, William & Mary and
Missouri.
In college, Copeland was a three-year starter as an offensive
lineman at Virginia. The Cleveland Browns drafted him in the 10th
round in 1967, and he played for the Browns until 1974.